Your credit file

When you try to sign up for one of our services – like a Pay monthly mobile plan, Device Plan or broadband, we’ll use a credit reference agency to run a credit check on your credit report.

Find out what happens when we run a credit check

We'll continue to exchange information about you with the three major credit reference agencies – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion – while you have a contract with us. This includes when you: 

Pay in full and on time

When you pay a monthly bill in full and on time, we record that on your account and update the credit reference agencies. Your credit file then gets updated to show you’ve paid your latest bill.

When you settle an account

We’ll also update the agencies when you've paid off any credit or loans (also known as settling an account), so you don't have to.

If you make a late payment

If you pay your bill more than 30 days after its due date, we’ll update your credit file to say that you’ve paid your bill late.  

We’ll reflect how late you paid (for example): 

• If you pay two months late a 2 will be on your credit file 

• Three months late will show a 3, and so on 

• A default may be added if your bill remains outstanding 

Your credit file will show the late payment for six years from the date it’s recorded.

Find out more about late payments and your credit file from Experian

When we might add a default to your account

If you miss multiple payments, we'll move towards adding a default on your account. This will have a major impact on your ability to get credit in the future from Vodafone and elsewhere, so we’ll try to avoid this step at all costs.

First, we'll send you a ‘default notice warning’ requesting that you pay any outstanding bills by a set date. If you don’t pay your outstanding bills within that time, a default will be added to your credit file. This is a major red flag to future lenders, and it will stay on your credit file for 6 years.  

After a default has been added to your credit file, we'll request that you pay your overdue bills by a set date. If you don’t pay any outstanding amounts, we'll pass your debt on to a debt collection agency.

If you pay your debt, the default will show as satisfied, but your credit file will show the debt for six years from the date it was recorded.